Mediagazer: CNN's Primetime Ratings Sink to 20-Year Low (Michael O'Connell/Hollywood Reporter)

9:50 PM ET, May 22, 2012

Top News:

For AOL, a Costly Gamble On Local News Draws Trouble — Patch.com, a network of small-town news sites owned by AOL Inc., has emerged at the center of a tug of war over the Internet company's future. — The high cost of running the local-news sites has fueled a campaign …

Discussion: Street Fight, Washington Post, NetNewsCheck Latest, JIMROMENESKO.COM and Poynter

Jeff Bercovici / Mixed Media:

New Twist in Lawsuit Over Huffington Post's Origins; ‘Cover-Up’ Alleged — Two Democratic consultants who claim they supplied Arianna Huffington and Ken Lerer with the idea for the Huffington Post have filed an amended version of their lawsuit, saying emails and other documents …

Discussion: mediabistro.com, FishbowlNY, Poynter, Forbes and Capital New York

Jeff Bercovici / Mixed Media: AOL's Patch Gets a Haircut in Push For Profitability

Chris O'Shea / FishbowlNY:
Patch Cuts 20 Managers, Restructures

Discussion: TVNewser

Howard Kurtz / The Daily Beast:

Ailes Regrets ‘Scum’ Attack on NYT — Fox News chairman backs off harsh language in a college speech — Roger Ailes, who loves to bash the liberal media, used some extraordinarily harsh language the other day—and now realizes it. — In a speech Monday night at Ohio University …

Discussion: Erik Wemple, JIMROMENESKO.COM, Mediaite, The Huffington Post, The Daily Beast, Inside Cable News, FishbowlNY, Chickaboomer and @carr2n

Alex Weprin / TVNewser:
Roger Ailes Talks Negotiations With ‘Non-Neutral’ AP, His ‘Fluke’ Career

Discussion: Poynter, @producermatthew and FishbowlNY

Lynne Marek / Chicago Business:

Tribune prepares to spin off business units — Tribune Co. is streamlining its corporate structure for the possible sale of publishing and broadcast units after its exit from bankruptcy. The Chicago-based company recently filed a document with the Delaware court handling the bankruptcy …

Discussion: Poynter

Saul Daniels / Northridge-Chatsworth Patch:

Tribune Restructures to Spin Off the Los Angeles Times — Tribune Co., the corporate parent of the Los Angeles Times, is streamlining its corporate structure for the possible sale of newspaper and broadcast units, according to ChicagoBusiness.com. For years the company operated …

Felix Salmon:

How Gawker wants to monetize comments — Back in November, I grappled with the fact that online display ads in general, and banner ads in particular, are clearly not working very well; my suggested alternative was for brand advertisers to embrace the power of the external link.

Discussion: TechCrunch

Michael O'Connell / Hollywood Reporter:

CNN's Primetime Ratings Sink to 20-Year Low — Final numbers give the network's Monday-Friday showing, between 8 and 11 p.m., its smallest take among total viewers in two decades. — CNN's ratings woes continue to get worse. Following last week's news of a 15-year primetime low during Piers Morgan …

Discussion: Media Decoder, Deadline.com, Politico and The Huffington Post

Betsy Rothstein / FishbowlDC:

Attorney Plots to Get WaPo's Wemple Fired — WaPo media opinion writer Erik Wemple is on the receiving end of threats today after writing about the purported plagiarism of TWT and UPI Columnist Arnaud de Borchgrave (pictured here). He reported today that the columnist has taken a leave of absence.

Erik Wemple / Washington Post:
Arnaud de Borchgrave takes leave from Washington Times

Discussion: Washington Post

Betsy Rothstein / FishbowlDC:

OMG! BuzzFeed to Open D.C. Bureau — The buzz around BuzzFeed opening a Washington bureau is true. Political Editor Ben Smith confirms to FishbowlDC that the LOL-laden site is shooting to bring on new blood by summer to get the cat pic operation up and running.

Discussion: DCist, FishbowlNY, Fast Company and AppNewser

Daniel Frankel / paidContent:

Netflix promotes two key content VPs — With TV repeats and original series emerging as important drivers of Netflix's content mix, the company has made two key executive moves intended to bolster those areas. — Netflix announced Tuesday that Cindy Holland will step into the newly created role of VP of original content.

Discussion: The Daily Beast and Home Media Magazine

Daniel Frankel / paidContent:

Dish defends ad-skipping DVR, pay TV peers throw it under bus — If Dish Network was expecting an “I am Spartacus” level of peer support for its new ad-skipping DVR, it won't find it at this week's Cable Show. And aggrevated broadcasters shouldn't be looking to hear an apology and retraction from Dish chief Charlie Ergen, either.

Discussion: Home Media Magazine, Associated Press, AdAge and Media Decoder

Peter Kafka / AllThingsD:

TV Everywhere's Counting Problem — “TV Everywhere” is supposed to let the traditional TV business hang on to the status quo, by promising viewers they can watch whatever they want, whenever they want it. — As long as they keep paying for TV. — But even if consumers go for that deal …

Discussion: Terry Heaton's PoMo Blog

Brendan Sasso / Hillicon Valley:

Broadcasters sue over political ad rule — The National Association of Broadcasters sued the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Monday to block the commission's order requiring TV stations to put political advertising data online. — In their filing with the U.S. Court of Appeals …